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NHS waiting times
Data through August 2026. NHS source.
Varicose veins treatment is usually treated within the NHS General Surgery Service pathway. The median wait so far across 275 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS is 11 weeks, counted from referral on the whole General Surgery Service list, and 6 in 10 patients on that list have waited less than 18 weeks, the maximum wait set out in the Handbook to the NHS Constitution for non-urgent consultant-led treatment (the 18-week standard is at least 92%). Routing note: Varicose vein treatment on the NHS requires symptoms (pain, skin changes, ulcers) — cosmetic-only cases are not funded. Treatment is usually via Vascular Surgery, which sits under General Surgery in NHS RTT data.
On the General Surgery list, the middle of the providers' median waits so far is 11 weeks as of August 2026, across 275 NHS trusts and independent providers reporting to the NHS, and 9 in 10 current patients are within 39 weeks. But the wait varies significantly between trusts — see the full ranking to find the shortest wait near you.
The median shows time waited so far by the current list — a new routine referral will often wait longer. Why these differ →
Up to 10 acute and specialist NHS trusts with 50 or more people on the General Surgery Service waiting list, ranked by shortest median wait. Community and mental-health trusts, smaller lists and independent providers are on the full ranking: See all trusts on the General Surgery Service national page →
Hospitals ranked by shortest wait within travelling distance of each city.
The ranking above is national. To rank hospitals by distance from your postcode, search with your postcode below.